The National Newspaper Association today revealed that 4th quarter results confirm that local papers in the States are faring better than regional and national news titles.

The data put together by the NNA in conjunction with the Suburban Newspapers Association (SNA) showed that whilst the industry averaged a 21% fall in advertising revenues at the end of 2008 compared to the previous year, the figure was just 6.6% for community newspapers.

The Austin Chronicle is one such weekly local paper to buck the national trend. New York Times journalist, David Carr who was in Austin himself last week notes the paper is "as funky and idiosyncratic as the town it covers" and believes its "relentlessly local news agenda" is the main reason why it has not suffered like so many other US papers.

"The Chronicle is knit into civic and cultural life in Austin to a degree that may make other newspapers nervous" he adds. While many papers simply cover the news, the Austin Chronicle is the news and perhaps it is partly because of this that it remains at the forefront of the local community. Among other initiatives, the newspaper provides funding for local film projects and is also the brains behind the famous South by Southwest music and media festival.

Local resident and club owner, Frank Hendrix who participated in the SXSW himself, agrees with Carr: "They [the Austin Chronicle] are a big part of the story here and always have been."

Carr describes the Austin Chronicle "as an engine for innovation" and marvels at the popularity of the Chronicle's editor and founder, Louis Black: "I watched him walk down the street and he couldn't get three steps without someone stopping him to say hello or tell him thanks. Imagine that: a newspaper man being one of the most popular guys in town."

Another American paper to rival the Austin Chronicle is the Buffalo News. Although it covers an area far bigger than the one covered by the Chronicle and therefore cannot be described as a typical community paper, it too is debt-free, boasts an impressive community following and has managed to avoid enforced redundancies, with an editorial focus on region-specific news. Warren Buffett, owner of the Berkshire Hathaway group which holds the Buffalo News recently said: "Despite the tough economic trends in our territory, we are in better shape to deal with survival than almost any other metropolitan daily."

Community newspapers like the Austin Chronicle show that mutual support might well be key in ensuring the survival of a local news title and perhaps there are lessons that can be drawn by national newspapers. Whether local, regional or national, a newspaper should perhaps itself be prepared to demonstrate a commitment to the very community it purportedly serves, namely by showing its support to locally run projects, for only then will it be justified in expecting the same level of support in return.

Sources: NNA.org , New York Times , Buffalo News